How Virtue Ethics Informs Medical Professionalism Assignment

How Virtue Ethics Informs Medical Professionalism - Assignment Example From the onset, it is important to understand that doctor have singular duty to care for patients, who need to earn their trust. In this regard, while treating or diagnosing patients the welfare of the patient is a priority. In order for the doctors to earn the essential trust, they should exercise humility while undertaking their duties, knowing to well that patients have trusted them with their lives; trust that must be earned (Pozgar, 2012). Throughout the history of health professional practice, patients are given the freedom of seeking a second opinion. As a result of that second opinion, they get confidence. Patients are entitled to make choices regarding their lives and health, and to make those decisions they must have the liberty to make informed choices after consulting the experts they trust. On the same note, doctors and other healthcare givers are privileged whenever patients come to seek for their services. Patients have the choice of picking the doctors of their choice. On this note, they should be treated with humility and respect that they deserve. From the discussion above, it is clear that patients are at liberty to seek opinions of other doctors as a second opinion (Moeller, et al 2012). The second question is whether Dr. Z acted ethically when told the patient, while in a state of agitation, to seek the second opinion but, did not think that the response would be any different from his. Whereas Dr. Z is human and may be provoked and whereas he felt that he had done the diagnosis well, code of ethics requires restraint from him. Health professionals are in a demanding industry that requires strict observance of ethical standards (Pozgar, 2012). One of the essential ethical requirements in the health profession is humility and restraint, even when provoked by clients.  

Evaluating the human resource development in public and private sector Dissertation

Evaluating the human resource development in public and private sector IN Oman - Dissertation Example The overall aim of evaluating the human resource development in public and private sector in Oman cannot be achieved in the absence of a benefiting research design. The researcher shall therefore use the case study research design to conduct the present study. With the case study research design, the researcher shall be offered the opportunity to select specific scenarios and cases for both the private and public sectors in Oman to investigate in. The case study shall also offer the opportunity of meeting and interacting with the most suitable and appropriate respondents whose inputs would affect the research positively. In the course of the case study, the researcher shall select specific institutions, companies and organizations that fall under both the private and public sectors. These institutions, companies and organizations shall also have different industrial background so that a well balanced and comprehensive view of human resource development as it cuts across different qua rters of Oman shall be seen. This is to say that the case study shall not be limited to specific industries or service providers. The researcher shall build a sample size that shall be made up of two hundred (200) respondents. These two hundred (200) respondents shall be solicited from as many as forty (40) different organizations and institutions. This means that there shall be five (5) respondents from each company. Among the companies, there shall be twenty (20) from the private sector and twenty (20) from the public sector.

Unfair trade between developed and undeveloped countries

Unfair trade between developed and undeveloped countries I come from Burma, where market economy has not developed much yet. So the country is in pristine beauty. The country is poor but it has a charm with which nothing can compete because it still possesses wide area of forests, the water in the rivers is pure and it smells very much like nature. This situation cannot be described to one hearts content; one has to see for oneself. When I came to Thailand, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the whole economy was fully open and people can go shopping for every product one can possibly want (not-need). The Bangkok city is vibrant and skyscrapers are everywhere. For one instant, it is very impressive. Looking into the deep scene will present another story. Thailand has integrated itself into the world economy. In another world, it has been assimilated into the international trade system. Thailand imports a lot of products from different countries and exports varieties of products back. Trading is an important aspect of this developing country. When someone goes shopping, sometimes it is hard to distinguish which product is from which country. Not long ago, the phrase made in a country is an important part of a product. For example, made in Thailand, or made in India matters. However, it does not matter anymore with the advance of globalization trade network. The whole economic system is netted so confusingly. An American product will come from China and Japan product from Malaysia. Some people argue that this is the result of free trade. Anti-globalization protesters argued that the volume of world trade has increased significantly since 1950 from $320 billion to $6.8 trillion. The amount of money invested in the trade has surged to the extent that the real money cannot be implied in the financial transactions. Digital numbers are represented as money instead of conventional one. Some people assert that trade lifted peoples lives from poverty. People usually point to China where millions of people rose out of poverty line, even though Chinese government is still criticized for the stark contrast that exists in China between rich and poor. Some people still hope that trade will lift peoples lives out of poverty. However, when we talk about trade, we have to observe the bigger picture, which means international trade. Looking at one country will not give us a clear picture of actual happenings. The whole world is trading among nations under the concept of free trade. So what actually is free trade? Britannica Online Encyclopedia defines free trade as a policy by which a government does not discriminate against imports or interferes with exports by applying tariffs (to imports) or subsidies (to exports). (Free trade, BOE) It also explicitly emphasized that a free-trade policy does not necessarily imply that a country abandons all control and taxation of imports and exports. However, no matter how much people argue that the economic system established by the United States by the end of Second World War brings the concept of free trade and prosperity, there is a serious setback that affects the majority of the people in the world. International trade may bring about prosperity for the people in the rich countries but deepen the poverty in the poor nations. As Global Ministries Organization argues Most free trade agreements are not equal and result in unfair trade practices by giving some countries, such as large industrial countries like the United States, Canada and some countries in the European Union, more opportunities than others and putting some countries, such as ones in Latin America, Africa and Asia, at risk.   Free trade is trade without restrictions while fair trade is an equitable and fair partnership between trading countries. (Global ministries organization, fair trade vs. free trade)   In the past, the British established unfair trade treaties with the countries across the globe. One of them would be the famous Bowring treaty that was forcefully established between Britain and Thailand in 1855. Nowadays there were various forms trade agreements.   These include bilateral free trade agreements (FTA) between two countries and larger multilateral agreements such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), which is an agreement among 135 nations.   There are also regional trade agreements which encompass the establishment of a free trade zone among many countries in the same region.   Countries across the globe establish several different kinds of trade agreements to support their economies. However, the rich countries are the ones that pursued aggressive trade negotiations with the other poor countries. Office of the United States Representative states on its homepage that Trade Agreements can create opportunities for Americans and help to grow the U.S. economy. At this moment one might want to stop for a while and think. U.S. economy is the biggest economy in the world and it is also three or four times bigger than the second economy in the world now China, formerly Japan. Still, the U.S. is seeking to grow its economy which is a bit irony, because if this phenomenon is not affecting others, it is deemed to be appropriate; however, as we will see in the later part of this paper, a lot of trade activities are not fair in relation to poor nations. The gap between developed countries and developing countries is very big and some scholars conclude that this gap exists due to the unfair practices that are inherent in the system. For example, the U.S. controls their tariff system very high for other countries while forcing other peoples economies to open up so that American goods can be imported. In one mockery of US unfair trade practices, one analyst from Newsweek magazine outlines Fair (unfair) trade often consists of some politician or bureaucrat picking a number out of thin air and imposing it on foreign businesses and American consumers. Fair (unfair) trade means that Jamaica is allowed to sell the United States only 950 gallons of ice cream a year, that Mexico may sell Americans only 35,292 bras a year, that Poland may ship us only 350 tons of alloy tool steel a year and that Haiti is allowed to sell the United States only 7,730 tons of sugar. Fair (unfair) trade means permitting each American citizen to consume the equiva lent of only one teaspoon of foreign ice cream per year, two foreign peanuts per year and one pound of imported cheese per year. Fair (unfair) trade means that the U.S. Congress can dictate more than 8,000 different taxes on imports, with tariffs as high as 458 percent. As we can see here, many developing countries are finding themselves unhelpful amid the American economic imposition. Most developing countries produce agricultural products and these products do not find any way out of their country to sell in other countries. In fact, they face hardship to sell them in the developing countries because of high tariffs walls of the developed countries on the agricultural and manufactured goods they seek to sell.   Worst of all, developed countries practice subsidizing game on their agriculture at a rate of $1 billion a day, which is a whole lot of money while developing countries spend very little money for agriculture even if it is their main economic sector. Therefore because of this money, agricultural producers in the developed countries can produce their goods below production cost and with access to the markets of developing countries they are able to sell their produce at extremely low prices.  This selling and exporting is ensured through trade agreements and trade negotiations. This unfair competition forces international prices to drop in an artificial manner and causes rural farmers in developing countries to collapse.  This was how the U.S. defeated Burma in the rice market while Burma in 1960 was the biggest rice exporter in the world. U.S. now is still one of the biggest rice exporters in the world along with Thailand and Vietnam. At some point U.S. gave out free rice to people in Asia as development aid. This is a major blow to rice exporting countries. How can these countries negotiate with U.S. if they are this aggressive? Moreover, the US exports wheat at 46% below the production cost and corn at 20% below production.  In May 2003, World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn stated that the average European cow receives more subsidies than the entire average income of a person in Africa.   This means that local producers can not compete in their own domestic markets and the result is major losses in income. Another major agricultural product is Coffee and again U.S is involved in this issue. It is stated that coffee is the worlds second most valuable traded commodity.   There are about 25 million farmers and coffee workers in over 50 countries that produce coffee.   The United States largest food import and second most valuable commodity is coffee.   The U.S. imported 2.72 billion pounds of coffee from September 2001 to September 2002.   The U.S. imports coffee mainly from Brazil, Colombia, Mexico, Guatemala and Vietnam. Unfortunately, many coffee farmers receive less money for their harvest than the cost of its production, forcing them into a cycle of poverty and debt.   Why is that? The reason lies behind the corporations that sell and buy coffee from local people. In Guatemala for example, coffee pickers have to pick a 100-pound quota in order to get the minimum wage of less than $3/day. A recent study of plantations in Guatemala showed that over half of all coffee pickers dont receive the minimum wage, in violation of Guatemalan labor laws. Who is responsible for all these unfair practices? The root causes will lie in the trade and the concept of comparative advantage. Why do not these people farm paddy or wheat in the first place? It is because the idea of cash crop forces them to seek out dollars instead of survival crops. One major area against free trade and multinational companies is the issue of HIV medicines. Patent law in the international trade system is affecting dying people in the developing world. Pharmaceutical companies are producing HIV medicines with a high price so that people in the developing countries cannot afford it. Oxfam, a British NGO is trying to combat this issue. At an international level, they continue to challenge trade organizations, governments, drug companies, and others to make decisions that will help to improve the health of millions of poor people by providing access to affordable generic medicines. The patent issue is a major problem in the trading system. I am going to mention one specific story about US patent on the use of turmeric in wound healing. Graham Dutfield (2002) argued that the US Mississippi medical center received the above mentioned patent on the method of using turmeric in wound healing. As people would imagine, this patent laws have gone a bit too far. One point they did not know is that Indians have used this method to heal wounds since time immemorial. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research of India had to request the US patent and Trademark Office to revoke the patent on the basis that turmeric powder is widely known about and used in India for its wound-healing properties, and that a great deal of scientific research has been carried out by Indian scientists that confirms the existence of these properties. Finally, the patent was revoked. (p-65) As mentioned above, there are varieties of unfair trade practices in the international trading system. To address these issues require someone to have a look at the underlying philosophy of the whole economic system. The concept of comparative advantage has pushed a lot of countries to produce things which they do not actually need and afterwards trading has to be done. A case in point would be the coffee production, cotton production and tobacco production. In some instances, a lot of countries trade their produce at the expense of local population. Frances Moore Lappe and Joseph Collins (1988) argues that Brazil produced and exported soybeans to feed Japanese and European livestock at the cost of Brazilians hunger. (p-77). Likewise, Thailand traded cassava, frozen fruit and poultry products with the west and the rest of the world while Thai preschools are undernourished. (Lappe and Collins 1988: 76-77) Most of the times, the national governments are involved in the exploiting the poor while engaging in the international trade. They exported food while people were hungry at home. It seems to me that these governments are orchestrating with the international economic system while ignoring the poor people. Encouraging the fair trade needs reconsidering a number of factors such as scrutinizing the trade treaties, pressuring the governments through civil networks groups and resisting the American hegemony when it comes to unfair trade.

Comparative Analysis of Cultural Ideologies in Norway and the United St

Comparative Analysis of Cultural Ideologies in Norway and the United States The intent of this paper is to examine individualistic and communitarian cultural ideologies within two distinctly different political environments. The first challenge in comparing two nations is deciding which approach is most appropriate. There are several approaches in political science that have proven most beneficial when making comparisons. This study will use a comparative government approach to examine the political institutions, processes, constitutions, and functions of government within each of the two countries selected. The countries that have been chosen for this study are United States and Norway, respectively. Gregory Scott believes that the fundamental aspects of human interaction in society are the need for community (unity) and the need for individuality. The argument is that the entire history of politics is largely the story of how communities and nations resolved the inherent conflict between the universal needs for community and individuality. With that, the topic that this paper tends to address has emerged, within the study of politics in this class and others, as the single most dynamic in scope and in implication. Freedom, equality, and justice combine to build a substantial argument for the individualistic ideology. Authority, order, and democracy are all building blocks for the argument of the communitarian. Scott notes that much of what motivates individualist is a strong desire for freedom. This author also argues that we are all interdependent and authority is justified by the need to bring order to societies competing values and thoughts. In studying the history of humanity, the battleground that has been formed between the need for individuality and unity is undeniable. A person’s view of the nature of humanity is fundamental to their view of government, and its scope. If people are seen as dangerous, then a government to protect people from that danger is most appropriate. If people are viewed as capable of fulfilling their own creative potential, you may want a government that protects individual liberties (Scott, 47). These are all examples of core values for the entire foundation of government and of politics. This argument, for the use and scope of government, is divided into many different arguments that address basic issues o... ...hild benefit scheme, and the increase of taxes in electricity and heating oil consumption. Community Statistics v Official Name: The Kingdom of Norway v Population: 4,504,000 as of Jan. 2001 v System of Government: Constitutional Monarchy v Geographical Area: 385,155 sq. km. v Monetary Unit: Norwegian kroner, NOK v Coastline Length: 21,192 km. v Economic Indicators: Inflation rate (2000) 3.1%; Gross Domestic Product (1999) 1,192,826 million NOK; Gross Domestic Product per capital (1999) 267,328 United States of America According to political scientists, the United States is considered and â€Å"individualistic† society. A society that is quite capable in operating on its own, and not really relying on others to instruct them in ascertaining the very essentials of having a functional, independent, way of living. To fully understand the depths of the United States’ individuality, several ideas must be explained. First, one must understand the role of government in the United States. Secondly, there has to be an understanding of the evolution of the United States as a society, and the formation of its political structure and ideologies. Next, an

Home Deferring Dreams in a Raisin in the Sun

In Lorraine Hansberry’s play, â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun,† she does a great job of intertwining Langston Hughes’ poem â€Å"Montage of a Dream Deferred,† to incorporate her underlying theme of dreams. In his poem, Hughes asks â€Å"What happens to a dream deferred? † and then goes on to list the different things that might happen to a person if his dreams are put â€Å"on hold. † His overall point is that whatever happens to a postponed dream is never positive. Meanwhile, the question Hansberry poses in her play is, â€Å"What happens to a person whose dreams grow more and more passionate — while his hopes of ever achieving those dreams grow dimmer each day? Dreams get put on hold for many different reasons but in the case of the Youngers, it was their home environment that ensured that none of them would be able to accomplish their ultimate dreams. Lena, Walter, Ruth, and Beneatha Younger were a poor African American family that share d a small one-bedroom apartment in the south side of Chicago. Each person had vastly different goals and dreams. Being the head of the household, Lena dreamed the dreams of her children and would do whatever it took to make those dreams come true.Walter, Lena's oldest son, set his dream on starting his own business with a liquor store. He had the basic â€Å"American Dream† of starting from the bottom before ultimately working your way to the top with his entrepreneurial spirit. Beneatha, on the other hand, wanted to become a doctor when she got out of college and Ruth, Walter's wife, wanted to be wealthy. While trying to reach these dreams, each member of the the Younger family had their own dreams postponed and put on hold at some point or another for various reasons.Lena was a widow in her early sixties who devoted her life to her children after her husband's death. Retired from working for the Holiday's family, she was waiting for her husband's insurance money to arrive. With the ten thousand dollar check in her hand, Lena decided to buy a three thousand dollar house in Clybourne Park and she was also going to put some of the money in the bank for Beneatha's medical school. She realized this money was a one-way ticket for her family to get out of their environment and improve their lives and believed buying a house in a different neighborhood was the best way to do this.However, Walter was upset when he heard his mother had spent the insurance money on the house and thought it wasn't fair that Beneatha got some of it for her medical school while he got nothing for his liquor store business. Lena, who always wanted her son to be happy, trustingly gave the rest of the insurance money to Walter. However, he then gave the money to Bobo and Willy, two of his friends with questionable character, to help him get his liquor license. Unsurprisingly, Willy betrayed Walter, taking off with the money and causing his dream to crumble to pieces.Walter was deceive d by his friend Willy but the reality is his dream was never going to happen anyway, and the rest of the family knew this. Living where they lived, the environmental pressures were extremely high. There were five people living in a tiny, run-down, roach-infested one-bedroom apartment, with two families sharing a bathroom. Everyone was looking for a way to improve their lives and Walter wanted to be the one to do it with his liquor store. â€Å"Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me – just plain as day. The future, Mama.Hanging over there at the edge of my days. Just waiting for me – a big, looming blank space – full of nothing. Just waiting for me† (980). Walter knew there was no future ahead of him if he continued on his life path and he knew he needed to get out. Living in this type of environment, your dreams will always be put on hold until you can finally get out. Ruth, Walter's wife, was pregnant at the time her husband was trying to start up his liquor store and she realized her dream of being wealthy and having a fine family was simply just that – a dream.To her, it was a consolation that her husband had come back to reality after his goals fell through. The problem Walter faced and the reason he was so unsuccessful was that his main goal was not to escape their environment, but merely to improve it. Due to where they lived, the family was destined to fail unless they made a move to get away from it. A lot of the family realized this but Walter didn’t. As Kristin Mathews says in her article â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun, â€Å"Walter’s failing is his acceptance of the capitalist economic system that necessarily excludes him from ascendancy† (par. ). She says that Walter doesn’t wish to change the system but merely change his position in it and until the very end of the play, he is willing to â€Å"surrender his will to this system and exchange his dignity for whatever ‘life’ it might offer him and his family† (7). Unlike Walter, Beneatha, on the other hand, knew that she wanted to escape the system altogether. This is why she was extremely upset when she found out Walter didn't put anything in the bank for her medical school because she knew that was her way out.She gave up hope and her dream of becoming a doctor seemed to fade away with Walter’s liquor store business. Fortunately, her friend Asagai came over and took her out of her environment. By marrying him and moving to Nigeria to practice her medical career, she found her new ticket out of the environment and system that was setting her up for failure. Lena was also well aware of the difficulties of living where they did. She knew moving away was the best decision for the family which is why she bought the house in Clybourne Park with some of the insurance money she received.However, pr ior to the family moving, Mr. Lindner, a representative from Clybourne Park, offered to pay the Youngers to not go into his neighborhood. Lindner, along with the rest of the community, didn’t want a black family living in their neighborhood. Taking the money would have been immoral in the family's eyes, and prioritizes money over human dignity. They understand that moving is the best choice for the family but once again, Walter did not. He was willing to push all his ethical beliefs to the side to take the money and improve his life within his system before ultimately changing his mind.Even though the road ahead will be difficult, they know that they have made an honorable choice and have finally gotten out of the environment that has been holding them back this whole time. They didn’t just improve their lives within the system, they got out of it. Lorraine Hansberry had successfully described the four main characters in the story as human beings with desires, dreams, aspirations, conflict, foibles, and strength. It was â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† that expressed those dreams and desires and how they ended up as â€Å"dreams deferred. Once the family was finally able to leave their home environment in the south side of Chicago, their dreams began to form into more of a reality. A major underlying theme of the book is to not give up on your dreams and do whatever it takes to accomplish those dreams as soon as possible. It is very rare that putting your dreams on hold turn out in a positive way so you need to seize the moment at all times and push aside anything that holds you back. The Youngers realized that what was holding them back was the system of their home environment and they got away from it as soon as they could and they were happier for it.Works Cited Hansberry, Lorraine. â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun. † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950-1021. Print. Hu ghes, Langston. â€Å"What Happens to a Dream Deferred? † The Norton Introduction to Literature. By Alison Booth and Kelly J. Mays. New York: W. W. Norton &, 2011. 950. Print. Kristin L. Matthews. â€Å"The Politics of â€Å"Home† in Lorraine Hansberry’s A Raisin in the Sun. † Modern Drama 51. 4 (2008): 556-578. Project MUSE. Web. 14 Mar. 2013. .

Aboriginal Suicide

Suicide and Healing: Aboriginals Overcoming the Hardships and Barriers Aboriginal peoples have had to endure many tragedies throughout history, which has affected them emotionally and mentally. It is no wonder that this group of people are amongst the highest suicide rates in Canada (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1995). This is a look at those tragedies and how it is tied in with suicide, also mechanisms used by Aboriginals to start the healing process. Definition of Suicide amongst Aboriginals Suicide and its roots in Aboriginal communities is said to be one of the many outcomes of colonialism and are matters of great concern.The impact of someone dying from suicide affects the family and the community. Many contributing factors of suicide and its attempts in both Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal are as followed: sexual abuse, family violence, solvent abuse, addictions, lack of proper leadership, deterioration of family structure, etc. Studies have shown that the rate of sui cide of all age groups amongst Aboriginals is 2 to 3 times higher than compared to the rate of non-Aboriginals. When it comes to the youth it is 5 to 6 times higher.This could be due to the fact that Aboriginal communities are so close knit that when one commits suicide it causes a ripple effect. That being said we must take into consideration that, â€Å"suicide is not just a problem in itself, but the symptom of deeper problems† (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1995, p. 2). Residential Schools In the early 19th century the Canadian government took it upon themselves to educate and care for the Aboriginal peoples. They thought that the best way in doing so was to assimilate Aboriginals with Christian beliefs, the English language and Canadian customs.Their idea was that Aboriginals would take their adoptive lifestyle and teach it to their children, with the notion that the native traditions and practices would be diminished or completely abolished within a few genera tions. The Canadian government felt that children were easier to mold than an adult (N. A. , 2010). They wished to minimize the amount of contact a child had with his or her parents and elders, so Aboriginal children were forced to relocate off reserve to a boarding school. Here the children would learn how to survive in mainstream society, and forget who they were and what their culture had taught them.The schools were not geared toward academics, but sought to train them in manual labour and industrial work. These Aboriginal children were forced to live, work and learn in unsafe conditions; due to the fact that facilities were not up to par, and the cheapest of supplies were used to erect the buildings (Kirmayer et al. , 2007). The church officials used punishment to humiliate, undermine and cause pain to the children. For instance, upon arriving at the residential school the children were assigned numbers that would identify them and given severe haircuts; hair has tremendous sym bolism in many Aboriginal cultures.Many of the children were sexually abused, and in most cases it did not stay closeted in the residential schools, but made its way back to the communities where the victims would then become the perpetrators (Kirmayer et al. , 2007). Indian agents saw the Aboriginals extended family living as unfit and unnatural, and sought to shape them into a ‘normal’ nuclear family. Aboriginal children were taking from their homes and placed in residential schools, which were usually located a significant distance off reserve. This made it nearly impossible for the families to visit one another.The children were allowed to write letters in order to keep in contact with their family, but the letters were looked over by the school officials to ensure no complaints were being made about their harsh treatment. This form of assimilation had a harsh impact on aboriginal community, culture and society. It also took a toll on the parenting practices amongst many of the Aboriginal peoples (Kirmayer et al. , 2007). Impacts of Residential Schools When the law that allowed government officials to take Aboriginal children out of their communities passed, the effects were tragic.Many of the surviving adults are still tremendously traumatised, that they find being a good parent and community member troublesome (Alberta Health, 1995). The amount of abuse that Aboriginal children had to endure during those dark times has been connected to the current suffering of their communities. A lot have turned to alcohol and other substances to deal with their pain; this in turn causes dysfunctional family units and communities. Many of the former students cannot speak their languages and more or less feel too ashamed to teach it to their own children.This is because the staff took it upon themselves to punish ever child who acted or spoke like an ‘Indian’. When the children returned home there was a communication failure with their elders, because they were too ashamed to speak in their language; reasons stated earlier on. Since they could not communicate to one another the opportunity to respect their elders and learn their language and culture diminished. The gap on communication also led to a rejection of their traditional values and beliefs, because the elders were the teachers of the community.While attending the school a significant amount of students were victims to sexual abuse at the hands of educators, fellow students and administrators. But, the abuse didn’t stop there the victimized students began internalizing, normalizing and even recreating the sexual abuse within their own communities. They themselves sought the power those of authority once had on them. This in turn added more dysfunction to the family ties with Aboriginal communities. The parents whose children were taken from them felt guilty, like the children blamed them for the reasons they were being taken, they no longer felt needed anym ore.Some may say this is the reason many turned to alcohol and drugs (Kirmayer et al. , 2007). Jealousy and greed were taught in the schools and missions. You fought for bread, you fought for clothes. There was no love involved. You were taken from your family and held in the missions for 10 months straight. The mothers and dads couldn’t exercise their love. Now there are lots of people, who don’t know how to raise kids, because this is what they went through, and that’s what they pass on, because that’s the only thing they know (Alberta Health, 1995, p. 9). The 60’s ScoopThe term Sixties scoop refers to the adoption of Metis and First Nations children that took place during the 1960’s. The name was derived due to the fact that during that decade the number of adoptions that took place in Canada was the highest in its history, in most cases children were literally scooped up from their families and community without the consent of their pare nts and fellow band members. During this time government officials and social works saw the Aboriginal peoples as unfit and could not adequately provide the children with what they needed.One of the reasons they thought this was because their houses were not similar to the Euro-Canadian houses for example; children ate wild meat and bannock and rather than having their cupboards stocked full of food, Aboriginals simply hunted and gathered what was needed. Many of the Aboriginals who were affected saw the removal of their children as a deliberate act of cultural genocide (Sinclair, 2011). About 70% of the children taken from their families were placed in non-Aboriginal homes, many of these homes denied them of their heritage and culture.A vast majority of the foster families told the children they were of a different race such as Italian or French, rather than telling them where they had originally come from. A lot of the children suspected they were of Aboriginal decent, but could n ot confirm it. This was due to the Government policy that birth records could not be issued unless both the child and parent had given their consent. Many of the children floated from foster family to foster family and never really experienced true stability.On numerous occasions Aboriginal children went from loving, caring and well intentioned Aboriginal families; to places of slave labour and physical, sexual and emotional abuse. For, abuse of any kind was not uncommon and usually covered up, to hide just how unjust the government was (Hanson, 2009). Impacts of The 60’s Scoop Many of the children experienced marginalization, identity confusion, attachment disorders, emotional emptiness, abuse, self-hatred, racism and even substance addictions. These experiences later affected their family units and communities, because they were taught that this was right.A study done in Prince Albert penitentiary found that 95% of incarcerated Aboriginals had been in foster care as a child . Also, a vast majority of surviving children are sexually exploited or live on the streets. This tragedy was yet another blow that language and culture amongst Aboriginals peoples had to endure (Kirmayer et al. , 2007). Linking Tragedy to Suicide As stated earlier both of these tragedies have led to further cases of physical and sexual abuse, but there are links between them and the high number of suicides in Aboriginal communities as well. Studies have found hat mental illness, family breakdown and child abuse are higher in those who have experienced these tragedies than those who haven’t. Some of these mental health problems have been diagnosed as residential school syndrome or RSS, some may say that the government spends too much time trying to diagnose them rather than trying to fix the problem. Aboriginal peoples not only suffered during these times, but the long lasting effects still reside with them today. So, Aboriginal peoples are still suffering. In fact, these neg ative consequences have a substantial impact on Aboriginal families and communities.Although many have not been able to cope with their pain, some have gone on to live healthy and successful lives. The many types of abuse these children faced have been very traumatic, and studies have shown that separation from families has the severest impact on one’s mental health. Suicide itself is associated with emotional deprivation, separation of families and losses in early life. That being said, when the children were separated from their families and taken from what was familiar to them during both of these tragedies spoken of earlier, they became high risk (Kirmayer et al. 2007). There are 4 families of related factors of suicide within Aboriginal communities, they are: * Psycho-biological factors- which are the various mental disorders linked with suicide. * Life history or situational factors- which are the trauma one faces in early childhood, dysfunctional family, unable to rela te or trust both peers and members of authority, absence of spiritual and religious beliefs, imprisonment and substance abuse. * Socio-economic factors- unemployment, poverty, stability, prosperity and low class status. Culture stress- the loss of norms, values and beliefs there were originally to taught to one in their own culture (Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples, 1995). Aboriginal Healing Processes Every community and Aboriginal individuals are unique in their own way. But, the beliefs these communities and band members hold are quite similar. In these communities the care and love everyone has for one another is tremendous, they feel a sense of belonging within the larger universe. When looking at any issue within a community the Aboriginal peoples believe that ou can’t just look at one aspect of a person or community, but rather the total person, total community and total environment. In order for a person to be healthy they must take care of themselves as a Ã¢â‚¬Ë œwhole’. For Aboriginal peoples this means that the mind, body, soul and emotional spirits must all work together in order for one to be healthy. They also believe in the circle of life, that in order for the human race to progress we must follow the values of balance and harmony.Traditional healing is very important in the Aboriginal culture, in fact many traditional healers are now working within hospitals all across Canada. But, there are many hardships facing these healers such as; finances, conflict with hospital staff and even Aboriginals who do not value this approach (Alberta Health, 1995). What happens in one stage of a person’s life is interconnected with every other aspect of his or her life. Although many of the children who survived these above tragedies do not remember what happened or do not wish to think about it, they must try to heal and explore in order to keep on surviving.As children, there are limited options, but as an adult we have choices to ov ercome these hardships, whether we choose to or not is totally up to oneself. In order to survive one must follow a positive path and take the following steps into consideration: * Acknowledge that they have been hurt * They must ‘own’ these feelings of hurt and pain. * Explore and try to remember what happened to them. * Learn to share these feelings with people who care and are not judgemental. * Make choices that will help you live in a more positive lifestyle (Mussell et al. 1993). Some may say that the government succeeded in bringing down the Aboriginal peoples, but they are wrong to think that they will stay down. Many Aboriginal peoples have gone on to live happy healthy lives and will continue to teach their children these ways. But, in order for the people to survive we must help and try to live balanced lives free of racism and hate (Alberta Health, 1995). Healthy communities are our greatest resource. But there are barriers that prevent us from experiencing good health and they are often as a result of our own lifestyles.Most of us have the knowledge of how to enhance our own health but knowing does not always translate into doing. Enhancing our health may require lifestyle change and habit changes, and that is difficult. It is easier to do things that make us feel good if we have resources available and support from those around us and our community (Alberta Health, 1995, p. 68). References Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. (1995). Choosing life: Special report on suicide among Aboriginal people. Ottawa, ON: Canada Communication Group.Alberta Health. (1995). Strengthening the circle: What Aboriginal Albertans say about their health. Edmonton, AB: Aboriginal Health Unit Alberta Health. Kirmayer, L. J. , Brass, G. M. , Holton, T. , Paul, K. , Simpson, C. , & Tait, C. (2007). Suicide among Aboriginal people in Canada. Ottawa, ON: Aboriginal Healing Foundation. Mussell, W. J. , Nicholls, W. M. , & Adler, M. T. (1993). Making meaning of mental health challenges in First Nations: A Freirean perspective. Chilliwack, B. C. : Sal’I’Shan Institute Society.Sinclair, R. (2011). Origins Canada: Supporting those separated by adoption; The 60’s scoop. Retrieved from http://www. originscanada. org/the-stolen-generation/ N. A. (2008, May, 16). Residential schools: A history of residential schools in Canada. Retrieved from http://www. cbc. ca/news/canada/story/2008/05/16/f-faqs-residential-schools. html Hanson, E. (2009). Sixties Scoop: The sixties scoop & Aboriginal child welfare. Retrieved from http://indigenousfoundations. arts. ubc. ca/home/government-policy/sixties-scoop. html

Australian Precious Stones and Jewelry market exported to Japan Essay Example

Australian Precious Stones and Jewelry market exported to Japan Essay Example Australian Precious Stones and Jewelry market exported to Japan Paper Australian Precious Stones and Jewelry market exported to Japan Paper 1.0 Executive Summary The Australian jewelry industry is somewhat unique when compared to various others. One of the primary factors is that it enjoys a large natural resource base from which it can draw from to produce and manufacture its products. This is particularly true when it concerns precious and semi-precious stones such as diamonds, opals and pearls. As things stand, the Japanese market is one that appears to be significantly lucrative to enter for an Australian jeweler. In spite of the economic downturns facing the country, its economy is many times larger than the Australian economy thus ensuring that trade opportunities will continue to exist even in the face of the economic stagnation. Additionally, the changing status of jewelry to little more than just another fashion trend means that jewelers who are able to bypass the many steps in the distribution channel and/or have access to raw materials without additional import charges will be able to catch the shift in market layout as more importance is placed on affordability and fashion. Furthermore, statistics has shown that there continues to be a steady demand for jewelry thus providing an opportunity to adaptable businesses as specialist stores suffer a withdrawal of customers who appear to frequent the supermarkets for jewelry. 2.0 Background The Australian jewelry industry has a variety of raw materials to draw from for its production of jewelry. First and foremost of all is the supply of diamonds from the Argyle mines which fall into the three categories of pink, champagne and white diamonds. Being the not only the sole mine in Australia to produce diamonds, but among the largest in the world, the Argyle diamond mine is responsible for more than a third of the worlds supply of diamonds and thus is one of the most technologically advanced mines in existence. Since its conception in 1986, the Argyle mine has produced diamonds in an increasing number from the 29 million carats in the first year of production to steadying out at an average of 35 million carats from 1994 onwards. Not only are Argyle diamonds unique to other diamonds due to their hardness, the fact that the rare, highly valued pink diamonds can be steadily sourced from the mines means that Australian jewelers have a monopoly on the sale of such rare stones th rough an exclusive network set up by Argyle. Australia also enjoys significant natural deposits of high quality opal which totaled at $120 million for the year 1996-1997 alone. In fact, the deposits are so large that Australia accounts for almost 100% of the worlds top quality opal since natural deposits elsewhere are situated near volcanic regions with the exception of Brazilian opal and are generally of inferior quality. The only downside to this particular industry is the fact that mining is usually carried out on an individual business and thereby resistant to vertical integration and more efficient large scale mining operations. 3.0 Business Environment 3.1 PEST Analysis Political In terms of political factors influencing the exporting of gemstone decorated jewelry, there are several in effect. The first of these factors would be the tariffs that effect gold silver and platinum jewelry. Any silver and platinum jewelry would be subject to a general tax of 6.2% while jewelry using other precious metals would be subject to a 6.6% tariff (JETRO, 1998). Additionally, the tariff rates for each type of jewelry depends on whether it receives preferential, WTO, temporary or general rates (Appendix 12). Preferential rates have no tax whatsoever and are applied only imports meet conditions stipulated by statute and the administration. WTO rates are applied if and when its rates are lower than temporary and general rates. There are no legal restrictions regarding the importation of jewelry to Japan save for its Customs Tariff Law which prohibits counterfeit coins and designs which infringe trademark and design rights as well as the Washington Convention ratified in 1980 prohibiting trade of materials containing ivory or coal (Jewelry Trade Commission). Although there are no official regulations in regards to the sale of jewelry, there is however an identification program established voluntarily by the industry known as the Whole Mark and Quality Mark Program. The Whole Mark is used as proof of pure precious metal content in products stated to have them and usually consists of symbols indicating home country and level of quality. The Quality Mark on the other hand is almost the same but has the added measure where the mark is created and registered by the Japan Jewelry Association and is used to establish the responsibility of the labeler and guaranteeing the quality of the jewelry (JETRO, 1998). One example of this quality mark can be found on Appendix 13. Economic In the recent years, Japan has noted a distinct slowdown in its economy and is becoming somewhat stagnant despite several hundred trillion yen being spent on economic stimulus packages by the government. Despite this trend, some changes are occurring which could possibly contain news of benefit to the Australian gemstones/jewelry industry. One of the first factors of note is that the Japanese economy is 12 times larger than the Australian economy (Austrade). As such, despite the economic growth stagnation that Japan is facing, its sheer size means that an opportunity for Australia will continue to exist barring any catastrophic occurrences. Social One of the interesting things to note in regards to the social perception to jewelry is the effects that it has had on the market share that various distribution channels have. In this aspect, it should be noted that supermarkets have gained an increase in jewelry sales while those of department stores remain mostly flat (JETRO, 1998). This would appear to be a direct consequence of reducing prices of jewelry and its increasing acceptance as just another fashion good. Based on the popularity of the royal family of Japan, it would appear that their usage of cultured pearls as apparel has significantly increased its popularity among the Japanese consumers (Austrade). As such, demand exists for South Sea pearls as well especially of the pinkish and naturally golden ones Another trend to note is the changing demand for jewelry types. As shown in Appendix 3, there was a 10% increase demand in volume for earrings and a minor increase of 1% in demand for pendants at the expense of demand for rings with the exception of engagement rings between the years 1992 to 1996. Additionally, Appendix 4 shows that there is a significant jump in spending on ornamental wear among certain age groups especially in the 25-29 years and 50-54 years age group. Technology Much of the technological concern in regards to the jewelry industry falls into two categories. One is the actual production of jewelry and the other would be the post sales service in terms of modifications and maintenance of jewelry with mechanical parts (i.e. watches). Almost all retail stores in Japan involved in the sale of jewelry devote considerable resources to after sales services which involve cleaning, repair, reworking and resizing and redesign services as part of an effort to maintain and expand their customer base (JETRO). However, certain repair operations simply cannot be carried out in Japan due to technical/logistical issues and require a return to the parent country before repairs can be carried out thus necessitating the need for foreign suppliers to maintain repair facilities for just such an occurrence. 3.2 SWOT Strengths One of the primary strengths that the Australian jewelry market has over others is that in terms of supply, Australia is among the largest suppliers of natural diamonds across a wide variety of stones as well as being the undisputed primary supplier of high quality commercial opals. As such, Australian jewelry utilizing locally acquired natural precious stones will be able to cover wide range of markets due to their extensive range of raw gemstones to draw from. Additionally, with the exception of Brazil, all non-Australian opals are located in or near volcanic regions (Costellos). Australian opals and are typically mined by individuals and small groups and are located in comparatively more hospitable areas. This fact of heavy competition, combined with the factor that Australia is reputed to supply 95% of the worlds opals, means that there is significant pressure to provide and to corner as much of the possible market share as possible. As a result, prices for raw opals cannot command a high rate since the market structure would resemble a near perfect-competition market. With pearls, the Australian industry has an advantage over other producers as the Australian Cultured Pearl is of such high quality at harvesting that it requires no bleaching, tinting, dying or skinning in order to prepare it for setting (Costellos). Since these steps are not required, the net price of the pearls would be lower in comparison to other competitors offerings. Weaknesses One of the primary weaknesses of the industry is that its primary diamond mining operations in Australia is solely dependent on a single diamond mine known as the Argyle diamond mine located in the Kimberley region (Costellos). In the event that unforeseen circumstances curtail or disrupt the mining operations and adversely affects the supply, the regular supply of local diamonds for the entire Australian jewelry industry would be halted. As a result, the entire chain of production and distribution would be disrupted, possibly causing loss in market share as competitors step in to fill up the gaps. Another weakness facing the industry is that due to the fragmented nature of opal mining operations, the existence of a coordinated and well organized supply structure is virtually non-existent. Just as the fragmented nature of the opal mining operations prevents a monopoly or dominant supplier from existing; it also prevents producers from utilizing vertical integration. Added to this problem is the fact that the opal fields are beginning to run out indicating that prices will begin to rise as supply dwindles (Costellos). Opportunities Japan is completely dependent on foreign sources for all of its precious stones and metals with the exception of quartz, onyx and pearls (Austrade). As matters stand, the combined economic size and sheer dependence on foreign sources for materials, the Australian jewelry industry will find a more than receptive market for its products. Additionally, Appendix 1 indicates that although there is some fluctuating in the sale of jewelry with precious stones during the years 1988 to 1996, the overall sales volume is stable and does not appear to be susceptible to any drastic fluctuations in the near future. As shown in Appendix 6, despite the reduced average price that was indicated during the years 1992 and 1996, overall volume of sales for all types of jewelry (gold, silver and platinum) increased. Despite the economic downturn of 1991, the increase in volume and value of jewelry sold is a good indicator that the market for jewelry is still active and demonstrates significant growth potential. Threats Major threats facing the Australian jewelry industry is the existence of rival competitors from various other countries. Already, market leaders in terms of volume exported exist among various countries such as Thailand with its export of 23.1% in the year 1996 (Appendix 7, Appendix 8) and the United States coming in at 2nd place with a total export amounting to 17.6% of the total jewelry exports to Japan. 3.3 Market Analysis Entering the Japanese market is not a simple matter. Corporate networks in Japan are closely knit and in some ways, similar to the traditional communal family structures found there. As such, finding a good importer to purchase the products will require at least an introduction into the network by an intermediary of some prominence and influence. Without such an introduction, entry into the market by exporting alone would be difficult since distributors would be likely to be more wary about a new exporter who acks endorsement unless the company already enjoys an international reputation. However, this difficulty of entering the market is somewhat lessened by the fact that there are no tariffs or quotas to the import of the colored stones. With the economic prospects for Japan still uncertain, high priced products have begun to lose market share as lower priced jewelry takes the center stage. As such, consumers have begun to be more price-sensitive and are far more likely to choose an alternate source of jewelry in the event that they find it to be too highly priced for their tastes. At the moment, there are several leading exporters of jewelry and precious stones to Japan. Among them are brands such as Tiffany, Cartier, Bulgari and other well known brand names (Appendix 10). However, these companies are on the high end range of the market and usually position their products as top quality fashion items thus allowing them to place premium prices on their products and target the richer segment of the populace. However, medium and low cost jewelry suppliers who utilize retailers such as supermarkets also have a portion of the market and with the current growth in total sales of jewelry in supermarkets (Appendix 11), it is likely that their particular segment has significant growth potential. In fact, despite its small market share compared to other distributors, it is the only retailer to have experienced such a high growth in sales (22.9%) in the year 1992 indicating that market trends are shifting to increase demand for fashionable, yet affordable jewelry.

USS Nevada (BB-36) in World War II

USS Nevada (BB-36) in World War II USS Nevada (BB-36) was the lead ship of the Nevada-class of battleships which were built for the US Navy between 1912 and 1916. The Nevada-class was the first to incorporate a set of design characteristics that would be employed in a series of American battleship classes during the years around World War I (1914-1918). Entering service in 1916, Nevada briefly served overseas during the final months of World War I. The interwar period saw the battleship take part in various training exercises in both the Atlantic and Pacific. On December 7, 1941, Nevada was moored in Pearl Harbor when the  Japanese attacked. The only battleship to get underway during the attack, it sustained some damage before beaching on Hospital Point. Repaired and heavily modernized, Nevada took part in the campaign in the Aleutians before returning to the Atlantic. Serving in Europe, it provided naval gunfire support during the  invasions of Normandy and Southern France. Returning to the Pacific, Nevada participated in the final campaigns against Japan and was later used as a target ship during the atomic testing at Bikini Atoll. Design Authorized by Congress on March 4, 1911, the contract for constructing USS Nevada (BB-36) was issued to the Fore River Shipbuilding Company of Quincy, MA. Laid down on November 4 of the following year, the battleship’s design was revolutionary for the US Navy as it incorporated several key characteristics that would become standard on future ships of the type. Among these was the inclusion of oil-fired boilers instead of coal, the elimination of amidships turrets, and the use of an â€Å"all or nothing† armor scheme. These features became sufficiently common on future vessels that Nevada was considered the first of the Standard-type of US battleship. Of these changes, the shift to oil was made with the goal of increasing the ship’s range as the US Navy felt that would be critical in any potential naval conflict with Japan. In designing Nevada’s armor protection, naval architects pursued an â€Å"all or nothing† approach which meant that critical areas of the ship, such as magazines and engineering, were heavily protected while less vital spaces were left unarmored. This type of armor arrangement later became commonplace in both the US Navy and those abroad. While previous American battleships had featured turrets located fore, aft, and amidships, Nevada’s design placed the armament at the bow and stern and was first to include the use of triple turrets. Mounting a total of ten 14-inch guns, Nevada’s armament was placed in four turrets (two twin and two triple) with five guns at each end of the ship. In an experiment, the ship’s propulsion system included new Curtis turbines while its sister ship, USS Oklahoma (BB-37), was given older triple-expansion steam engines. USS Nevada (BB-36) Overview Nation: United StatesType: BattleshipShipyard: Fore River Shipbuilding CompanyLaid Down: November 4, 1912Launched: July 11, 1914Commissioned: March 11, 1916Fate: Sunk as target on July 31, 1948 Specifications (as built) Displacement: 27,500 tonsLength: 583 ft.Beam: 95 ft., 3 in.Draft: 28 ft., 6 in.Propulsion: Geared Curtis turbines turning 2 x propellersSpeed: 20.5 knotsRange: 9,206 miles at 10 knotsComplement: 864 men Armament Guns 10 Ãâ€" 14 in. gun (2 Ãâ€" 3, 2 Ãâ€" 2 superfiring)21 Ãâ€" 5 in. guns2 or 4 Ãâ€" 21 in. torpedo tubes Aircraft 3 x aircraft Construction Entering the water on July 11, 1914 with Eleanor Seibert, the niece of the Governor of Nevada, as sponsor, Nevada’s launch was attended by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and Assistant Secretary of the Navy Franklin D. Roosevelt. Though Fore River completed work on the ship in late 1915, the US Navy required an extensive series of sea trials before commissioning due to the revolutionary nature of many of the ship’s systems. These commenced on November 4 and saw the ship conduct numerous runs along the New England coast. Passing these tests, Nevada put into Boston where it received additional equipment before being commissioned on March 11, 1916, with Captain William S. Sims in command. World War I Joining the US Atlantic Fleet at Newport, RI, Nevada conducted training exercises along the East Coast and Caribbean during 1916. Based at Norfolk, VA, the battleship was initially retained in American waters following the United States’ entrance into World War I in April 1917. This was due to a shortage of fuel oil in Britain. As a result, the coal-fired battleships of Battleship Division Nine were dispatched to augment the British Grand Fleet instead. In August 1918, Nevada received orders to cross the Atlantic. Joining USS Utah (BB-31) and Oklahoma at Berehaven, Ireland, the three ships formed Rear Admiral Thomas S. Rodgers’ Battleship Division 6. Operating from Bantry Bay, they served as convoy escorts in the approaches to the British Isles. Remaining in this duty until the end of the war, Nevada never fired a shot in anger. That December, the battleship escorted the liner George Washington, with President Woodrow Wilson aboard, into Brest, France. Sailing for New York on December 14, Nevada and its compatriots arrived twelve days later and were greeted by victory parades and celebrations. Interwar Years Serving in the Atlantic during the next few years Nevada traveled to Brazil in September 1922 for the centennial of that nation’s independence. Later transferring to the Pacific, the battleship conducted a goodwill tour of New Zealand and Australia in late summer 1925. In addition to the US Navy’s desire to accomplish diplomatic goals, the cruise was intended to show the Japanese that the US Pacific Fleet was capable of conducting operations far from its bases. Arriving at Norfolk in August 1927, Nevada began a massive modernization program. While in the yard, engineers added torpedo bulges as well as increased Nevada’s horizontal armor. To compensate for the added weight, the ship’s old boilers were removed and fewer new, but more efficient, ones installed along with new turbines. The program also saw Nevada’s torpedo tubes removed, anti-aircraft defenses increased, and a rearrangement of its secondary armament. Topside, the bridge structure was altered, new tripod masts replaced the older lattice ones, and modern fire control equipment installed. Work on the ship was completed in January 1930 and it soon rejoined the US Pacific Fleet. Remaining with that unit for the next decade, it forward deployed to Pearl Harbor in 1940 as tensions with Japan increased. On the morning of December 7, 1941, Nevada was single-moored off Ford Island when the Japanese attacked. Pearl Harbor Granted a degree of maneuverability due to its location that its compatriots on Battleship Row lacked, Nevada was the only American battleship to get underway as Japanese struck. Working its way down the harbor, the ship’s anti-aircraft gunners fought valiantly but the ship quickly sustained a torpedo hit followed by five bomb strikes. The last of these occurred as it neared the channel to open water. Fearing that Nevada might sink and obstruct the channel, its crew beached the battleship on Hospital Point. With the end of the attack, the ship had suffered 50 killed and 109 wounded. In the weeks after, salvage crews commenced repairs on Nevada and on February 12, 1942, the battleship was refloated. After additional repairs were made at Pearl Harbor, the battleship moved to Puget Sound Navy Yard for additional work and modernization. Modernization Remaining in the yard until October 1942, Nevada’s appearance was dramatically altered and when it emerged it looked similar to the newer South Dakota-class. Gone were ship’s tripod masts and its anti-aircraft defenses had been dramatically upgraded to include new dual-purpose 5-inch guns, 40 mm guns, and 20 mm guns. After shakedown and training cruises, Nevada took part in Vice Admiral Thomas Kinkaid’s campaign in the Aleutians and supported the liberation of Attu. With the end the fighting, the battleship detached and steamed for further modernization at Norfolk. That fall, Nevada began escorting convoys to Britain during the Battle of the Atlantic. The inclusion of capital ships such as Nevada was intended to provide protection against German surface raiders such as Tirpitz. Europe Serving in this role into April 1944, Nevada then joined Allied naval forces in Britain to prepare for the invasion of Normandy. Sailing as Rear Admiral Morton Deyo’s flagship, the battleship’s guns pounded German targets on June 6 as Allied troops began landing. Remaining offshore for most of the month, Nevada’s guns provided fire support for forces ashore and the ship earned praise for the accuracy of its fire. After reducing the coastal defenses around Cherbourg, the battleship transferred to the Mediterranean where it provided fire support for the Operation Dragoon landings in August. Striking German targets in southern France, Nevada reprised its performance in Normandy. During the course of operations, it famously dueled the batteries defending Toulon. Steaming for New York in September, Nevada entered port and had its 14-inch guns relined. In addition, the guns in Turret 1 were replaced with tubes taken from the wreck of USS Arizona (BB-39.) Pacific Resuming operations in early 1945, Nevada transited the Panama Canal and joined Allied forces off Iwo Jima on February 16. Taking part in the invasion of the island, the ship’s guns contributed to the pre-invasion bombardment and later provided direct support ashore. On March 24, Nevada joined Task Force 54 for the invasion of Okinawa. Opening fire, it attacked Japanese targets ashore in the days before the Allied landings. On March 27, Nevada sustained damage when a kamikaze struck the main deck near Turret 3. Remaining on station, the battleship continued to operate off Okinawa until June 30 when it departed to join Admiral William â€Å"Bull† Halsey’s Third Fleet which was operating off Japan. Though near the Japanese mainland, Nevada did not strike targets ashore. Later Career With the end of World War II on September 2, Nevada returned to Pearl Harbor after brief occupation duty in Tokyo Bay. One of the oldest battleships in the US Navy’s inventory, it was not retained for use postwar. Instead, Nevada received orders to proceed Bikini Atoll in 1946 for use as a target ship during the Operation Crossroads atomic testing. Painted bright orange, the battleship survived both Able and Baker tests that July. Damaged and radioactive, Nevada was towed back to Pearl Harbor and decommissioned on August 29, 1946. Two years later, it was sunk off Hawaii on July 31, when USS Iowa (BB-61) and two other vessels used it gunnery practice.

Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns

Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns Confusion of Subjective and Objective Pronouns By Mark Nichol How do you decide which form of a pronoun to use, as in the choices of the wording in â€Å"John is as fast as him† and â€Å"John is as fast as he†? Knowing the varieties of pronouns will help you choose the correct form. A subject pronoun is one used as the subject of a sentence, as in â€Å"He is right† or â€Å"I am amazed.† (Subject pronouns include I, you, he, she, it, we, and they.) Subject pronouns may also rename the subject, following a copular verb (one that is a form of â€Å"to be†): â€Å"It is I who left the chair there.† A subject pronoun should also be used for such sentences as â€Å"It might have been she,† though an object pronoun is used in its place almost invariably in casual speech and often in writing. Object pronouns (me, you, him, her, it, us, and them), by contrast, are used to identify the object of a sentence, as in â€Å"Mary gave it to her† and â€Å"The tourists went to see them.† (Notice that you and it can serve as both subject and object pronouns.) Object nouns are used with all the three types of objects: â€Å"The Smiths invited us† (direct object), â€Å"The Smiths gave us our dish back† (indirect object), and â€Å"The Smiths gave a party for us† (object of a preposition). Should a sentence read, â€Å"I am older than her† or â€Å"I am older than she†? In a statement of comparison that uses as or than and does not end with a copular verb, temporarily add one to test the correct type of pronoun: â€Å"I am older than her is† does not sound right, but â€Å"I am older than she is† does, so the correct word in this sentence is she. (Therefore, the correct sentence in the pair of examples in the first paragraph of this post in formal writing, at least is â€Å"John is as fast as he.†) Note, however, that what appears to be a sentence with an incorrect form of a pronoun can be correct when it means something else. For example, â€Å"She fell asleep before him† could mean that the woman fell asleep in front of someone, not earlier than someone, in which case the statement is correct. What if the sentence refers to more than one person? Several factors come into play. The pronoun in â€Å"Joe and I were invited to the party† is correct because I is part of the subject (â€Å"Joe and I†). But â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and I† is not, because â€Å"Joe and I† is now the object, and the correct personal pronoun for an object is me: â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and me.† (Test for the correct form of the pronoun by removing the other person from the object: â€Å"John went to the party with me,† not â€Å"John went to the party with I,† is correct, so â€Å"John went to the party with Joe and me† is correct.) But an exception is made when the reference to Joe and the writer is preceded by a copular, or linking, verb (a form of â€Å"to be†), as in â€Å"The last people at the party were Joe and I.† In this sentence, â€Å"Joe and I† are predicate nominatives, meaning that they rename or describe the subject: â€Å"Joe and I† equals â€Å"the last people at the party.† A pronoun in a predicate nominative takes the subjective, not objective, case: â€Å"The last people at the party were Joe and I† is correct. It may seem wrong, but that’s because the rule is ignored in most spoken English and in much written English as well, so we’re accustomed to hearing and reading the error. It should be observed, however at least in formal English. (Some comments on this post refer to a previous version of this discussion.) Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs) signal possession or relationship and, unlike nouns in possessive form, never include apostrophes. They take the same form whether in the subjective position or the objective position: â€Å"That is hers. Yours is here.† Reflexive pronouns (myself, himself, herself, itself, themselves, ourselves, yourself, and yourselves) refer to something already mentioned (â€Å"The machine appeared to start by itself†) or implied (Suit yourselves†). â€Å"The directions applied only to myself† is wrong because the person indicated by myself is not explicitly or implicitly referred to. (The correct wording is â€Å"The directions applied only to me.†) However, â€Å"I followed the directions myself† is correct because myself refers to the subject I. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Writing a Reference Letter (With Examples)"Wracking" or "Racking" Your Brain?Treatment of Words That Include â€Å"Self†

Why is financial reporting important to small business Essay

Why is financial reporting important to small business - Essay Example The financial reporting involves making a summary of financial information in accordance with accounting standards for the users of such information. Financial reporting involves preparing various financial statements for easier understanding by respective users of such information (American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. 2013). The three financial statements have different uses to the business and its stakeholders. However small a business entity may be they all require the financial statements namely statement of cash flows, income statement and statement of financial position of the company (Tracy, T &Â  Tracy, J., 2011). These documents are essential to a small business various ways. Statement of cash flows is an essential financial report to a small business because it shows cash inflows and outflows of the business (Revees, 2011). It provides summary information on the balance sheet and income statement so that the users of such information can obtain information about business activities and profitability of the business activities. It gives an overview of how well the business out is carrying out its activities. It shows the solvency of the business. According to Lynch (2000), statement of financial position or balance sheet is a financial statement that demonstrates the financial position of the business at a given time, usually at the end or the trading period. It can be shown in the form of the equation as follows. Assets = Liabilities + owner’s equity. This statement provides the users of such statement with a snapshot of the business resources or assets. Liabilities represent what business owner external financiers while owner’s equity represents what business owes shareholders or individual investor in case of a sole proprietorship. The equation must balance at all times. Therefore, statement of financial statement is essential for the small business because it shows the total worth of the business

Outline President Kennedys foreign policy problems as they related to Essay

Outline President Kennedys foreign policy problems as they related to Cuba - Essay Example This was intended to spur a rebellion to overthrow the then communist leader Fidel Castro. However, the mission was a failure and led to great embarrassment to the president (Haney & Vanderbush 45). Kennedy’s foreign policy was heavily influenced by the cold war, the continuing conflict of the Soviet Union as well as conflicts in Cuba. From 1960 until after the 1962 Missile crisis, the American objective was to get rid of Cubans leader, President Castro. Subsequently, during the years of the cold war the U.S foreign policy objectives were to get Cuba to halt its aid to revolutionaries, reduce its military ties to the Soviet Union and to show greater respect for human rights (Haney & Vanderbush 185). The United States trade embargo and other sanctions against Cuba have been in place for some 36 years, and the U.S policy towards the island has changed a little in that time. In the absence of full access to the diplomatic records in this country and abroad, it is not possible to resolve this debate on Kennedy fully, but certain studies by analysts on the Cuban missile crisis, lend support to the more friendly view of Kennedy. The president certainly made mistakes in foreign policy, and he raised more hopes than he fulfilled. However, he demonstrated a relatively cosmopolitan and sophisticated view of the world, grew in office, and had a feel for diplomacy, which for some time had been lacking in American

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art Essay

The Annuciation in Gothic and Early Renaissance Art - Essay Example Overall, the painters act as the societal mirror with emphasis in interpretation of complex issues. Vyssi Brod Cycle was a painting done by Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod and is dated 1350. The 14th century was manifested with the urge to represent the Annunciation by several painters as observed in the above art showing an angel communicating to Virgin Mary. Master/Cycle of Vyssi Brod, an artist of German descent, use tempera on wood panel to smoothen the linen coating of his painting now located in the National Gallery in Prague (Janson & Janson 123). This painting is called Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus and was done by two artists namely Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini. These were Italian Gothic artists fascinated with the Annunciation concept prompting them to complete the painting in 1333. On the other hand, they used gold on panel and Tempera to exquisitely paint the Cathedral of Siena as dedication to the patron saints of the city such as St. Ansanus and St. Victor. Therefore, because of its brilliant nature, the painting is presently located in Florence, Italy and mostly displayed at Uffizi Gallery. It means the Annunciation of this painting is determined by the entry of Archangel Gabriel into the house of Virgin Mary to bear the message of the son to be born called Jesus. In terms of Annunciation, the two artists easily compare to original biblical text found in Luke 1:26-38. For example, Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus by Lippo Memmi and Simone Martini actually depict the moment Archangel Gabriel has descended from heaven to impart the good message of a son to be born. This is complimented by extras that include the background setting where Mary is seated in a holy place flanked by companions carrying crosses. Alternatively, the props that include the flower in Gabriel’s hand enable the two artists to elaborate the story because it is a representation of a gift (Janson & Janson 128). Additionally, the two

Wildlife exploitation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Wildlife exploitation - Essay Example Some of the incentives that can be provided to conserve marine biodiversity include encouraging local people in their limited and managed development. Thus the best and most successful policies that encourage conservation of wildlife and marine biodiversity have been those that encourage the locals’ limited and managed development. This implies that allowing the local communities to make restricted use of wildlife encourages them to view the surrounding wildlife as an asset for development rather than a threat. Allowing utilization of restricted reserve lands along riverside and coastal regions allows the local people to make use of the available land while at the same affording other uses by wildlife. Afterall, at any given time, it is always important for the benefits accruing from wildlife conservation to trickle down and be distributed amongst the whole community. This takes the form of sharing tourism incomes from the reserve with the local community and maintaining a spe cific share of the available jobs in the reserve for the local community. Such policies, therefore, act as an encouragement for the locals who view the designation of the reserve for wildlife purposes as a particular kind of local development policy for their benefit.The other important incentive that can really assist in marine biodiversity conservation is the use of taxes/charges and tradable quota or rights and subsidies. This means that harvesters are subsidized to lower their harvest rate.

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys Term Paper

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys - Term Paper Example Since the communication is considered to be an important part of our everyday lives, therefore, interpersonal communication is equally important for the interpersonal relationships, for which communication is considered as lifeblood. Without considerable communication, relationships cannot flourish at any stage (Kalbfleisch, Interpersonal Communication: Evolving Interpersonal Relationship). However, the interpersonal communication becomes more complex between couples of different ethnicities. In this paper, to discuss the interpersonal communication between couple from different ethnicities, two articles have been discussed. The first article is by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001); which discusses the attraction of different ethnic groups towards each other. The article also explains that while dating, the individuals keep in view the ethnic background of the partner and select their communication strategies accordingly. The second article is by Claborne and Duan (2011) which discusses the mate selection in intercultural marriages. The researcher claims that with positive link of communication between couples, a balanced relationship can be attained. On the basis of these discussed articles, the conclusion for this paper has been made accordingly. Articles ARTICLE 1: In the article, ‘Interracial Dating: the Implications of Race for Initiating a Romantic Relationship’ by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001), the research shows that mostly the couples from different ethnicities are attracted towards each other because of similar values and interest. Few of them are attracted due to the physical appearance of their counterpart, and the rest of them because of their physiological makeup. The paper predicts the future of interracial dating to be very bright, as the population of the U.S. will consist primarily of people of the colour. This will increase the interpersonal contact between different ethnicities, thus the ratio of their relationship will also rise. T he paper discusses the role of communication in the interracial romantic relationship. The paper presents six factors by Orbe that influence the co-cultural communication. The factors include: the preferred outcome for the relationship; the lived experience of co-cultural group members; abilities that refer to personal skills at using different communication practices; situational context involving the setting; perceived cost and reward involved in the co-cultural communication; and communication approaches to choose the appropriate communication strategy. Similarly Adler and Towne (2003) discuss the identity needs of the humans and explain that the sense of identity only comes from the interaction with others. Under this situation, the results of the paper conclude that the race of a potential romantic relational partner directly affects the verbal strategies that a person uses to initiate the date. It was also stated that due to the attitude about the interracial relationships, th e participants purposely choose verbal strategies. Showing that, to fulfil their identity needs, the partners adopt different strategies that help them continue the communication between them. ARTICLE 2: The other paper is ‘Interaction in Intercultural Marriage’ by Claborne and Duan (2010). The paper discusses the expectancy in the communication and culture. The paper says that cultures are extremely complex and consist of a number of interrelated cultural orientations. Thus, the expectancy valences can

Near Earth Objects Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Near Earth Objects - Essay Example However, some asteroids which orbit near the sun can intersect with the earth’s path, and the results could vary from no-effect to catastrophic. Asteroids are floating masses of rocks which can also have a mix of iron and nickel. These irregularly-shaped chunks which can range from boulder-size to that of our very own moon are, thanks to Jupiter’s massive size and pull of gravity, held near the huge planet and Mars. There are different classes or types of NEAs depending on their aphelion distance, perihelion distance, and semi-major axes, namely, Aten, Apollo, and Amor. To show their differences, here is a table from the Near Earth Object Programpage of the NASA portal (â€Å"Neo Groups,† NASA Portal): Chunks of ice, dust, and rocky rubble that travel though space are called comets. Comets go much farther than asteroids do, reaching as far as the orbit of Neptune or even way beyond to a cloud surrounding the outer solar system known as the Oort cloud. Comet size usually ranges from half a mile to six miles across. A comet’s travel around the sun can take from a few years to thousands. Comets sometimes get â€Å"dislodged from their orbits by gravity and flung toward the sun, gases vaporizing off the surface create the familiar ‘tail’† (Wyckoff, â€Å"Asteroids and Comets†) that people see. Although this trail of gas and debris is considered a thing of beauty to behold, we must take note that this is due to a dislodgement in the comet’s orbit and things could certainly turn very ugly once size, speed, and direction come into play. One good example of that is the comet Shoemaker-Levy 9. In July of 1994, this catastrophic comet collided with Jupiter—the first collision of two heavenly bodies in the solar system to be observed. The comet was broken into fragments and left huge marks on the planet. Fragment A, for example, â€Å"struck

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys Term Paper

Communication between couples of different ethnicitys - Term Paper Example Since the communication is considered to be an important part of our everyday lives, therefore, interpersonal communication is equally important for the interpersonal relationships, for which communication is considered as lifeblood. Without considerable communication, relationships cannot flourish at any stage (Kalbfleisch, Interpersonal Communication: Evolving Interpersonal Relationship). However, the interpersonal communication becomes more complex between couples of different ethnicities. In this paper, to discuss the interpersonal communication between couple from different ethnicities, two articles have been discussed. The first article is by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001); which discusses the attraction of different ethnic groups towards each other. The article also explains that while dating, the individuals keep in view the ethnic background of the partner and select their communication strategies accordingly. The second article is by Claborne and Duan (2011) which discusses the mate selection in intercultural marriages. The researcher claims that with positive link of communication between couples, a balanced relationship can be attained. On the basis of these discussed articles, the conclusion for this paper has been made accordingly. Articles ARTICLE 1: In the article, ‘Interracial Dating: the Implications of Race for Initiating a Romantic Relationship’ by Harris and Kalbfleisch (2001), the research shows that mostly the couples from different ethnicities are attracted towards each other because of similar values and interest. Few of them are attracted due to the physical appearance of their counterpart, and the rest of them because of their physiological makeup. The paper predicts the future of interracial dating to be very bright, as the population of the U.S. will consist primarily of people of the colour. This will increase the interpersonal contact between different ethnicities, thus the ratio of their relationship will also rise. T he paper discusses the role of communication in the interracial romantic relationship. The paper presents six factors by Orbe that influence the co-cultural communication. The factors include: the preferred outcome for the relationship; the lived experience of co-cultural group members; abilities that refer to personal skills at using different communication practices; situational context involving the setting; perceived cost and reward involved in the co-cultural communication; and communication approaches to choose the appropriate communication strategy. Similarly Adler and Towne (2003) discuss the identity needs of the humans and explain that the sense of identity only comes from the interaction with others. Under this situation, the results of the paper conclude that the race of a potential romantic relational partner directly affects the verbal strategies that a person uses to initiate the date. It was also stated that due to the attitude about the interracial relationships, th e participants purposely choose verbal strategies. Showing that, to fulfil their identity needs, the partners adopt different strategies that help them continue the communication between them. ARTICLE 2: The other paper is ‘Interaction in Intercultural Marriage’ by Claborne and Duan (2010). The paper discusses the expectancy in the communication and culture. The paper says that cultures are extremely complex and consist of a number of interrelated cultural orientations. Thus, the expectancy valences can

Age of Enlightenment Essay Example for Free

Age of Enlightenment Essay In his essay ‘What is Enlightenment?’ Immanuel Kant discusses the nature of Enlightenment and how it can be brought to the general public. According to Kant, â€Å"Enlightenment is man’s release from his self-incurred tutelage.† By this, Kant means that Enlightenment is when one man is able to make use of his understanding without guidance from another man. Kant sees an Age of Enlightenment as a time when the human society can be liberated from their nature of discharge, which is a need for someone to be their director. However, Kant also states that we have a natural need for tutelage when we are young, and that it is perfectly all right. In addition, after nature discharges us of this need, we should activate our rational ability. Enlightenment according to Kant is the progress of a society through free activity of rational thought and intellectual assessment. In an Enlightened Age, the public would be able to manage their given freedoms with competence. However, Kant claims that we do not live in an ‘Enlightened Age’; rather, we live in an ‘Age of Enlightenment.’ By this statement, he means that an Enlightened Age would be an age where we have overcome all self-incurred tutelage. An Age of Enlightenment is the current age, where we have not overcome all self-incurred tutelage, but where we have begun to activate our own powers of reason and have begun to make progress through critique. Also in his essay, Kant distinguishes between the public and private use of reason. He states that ‘the public use of one’s reason must always be free and it alone can bring about enlightenment among men.’ In saying this, the author views public usage of reason as for the purpose of progress. Kant regards the private use of reason as ‘that which one may make of it in a particular civil post or office which is entrusted to him.’ In other words, the philosopher explains the private use of reason as a rational worker in a specific occupation. In my opinion, Kant was a great thinker. I could not argue with his supporters that claim that he is the last philosopher. Reading this clip of his beliefs, I think that Kant makes a great point. I agree that for the human race to be considered enlightened we will need to avoid the natural urge to want to not feel alienated. Humans are generally a dependant species, needing company or some sort of contact with other humans. Along with this, we usually do not want to feel different and hence, we sometimes model our actions after what we see others do. In conclusion, Immanuel Kant’s essay, ‘What is Enlightenment?’ describes the time we are living in as an Age of Enlightenment, not an Enlightened Age. Kant also theorizes that to be in the ideal Enlightened Age, society will have to make irrational thoughts and actions obsolete. Society will need to make decisions after careful study of the possible outcome and effects their choices may cause. Bibliography: Essay what is enlightenment? by Immaneul kant

Evaluating the Key Dimensions of National Culture in the UK

Evaluating the Key Dimensions of National Culture in the UK The following essay is aimed at evaluating the key dimensions of national culture in the UK using the Hofstedes model of national culture. The work is divided into seven sections. The last section presents come conclusion points. Introduction There is not a single unified definition of Culture. Some authors utilize only observable characteristics to construct its definition. Some others claim that culture is not tangible but subjective or implicit. Hofstede, on the other hand, describes culture as mental programming. Generally speaking, the manner in which the things are done. Culture enables an unconscious infrastructure of basic assumptions and beliefs that operate unconsciously (McSweeney, B., 2002). Culture definition, then, raises the question: Do nations have culture? There is a significant literature which supports the argument that each nation has a distinctive, influential, and describable culture. National culture is composed of cultural values, cultural forms, propositions, routines, customs, symbols, rituals, and artefacts (Singh, N., 2004). In this fashion, each nation will develop a particular relation to authority, conception of self (including ego identity) and primary dilemmas of conflict and dealing with them (De Mooij, M., Hofstede, G., 2010). Therefore, evaluating a national culture or defining a reference model for national cultures is a complex task. Researchers have developed sophisticated statistical models to achieve these two objectives. Among them, Hofstedes classification of cultures has broadly adopted due to the large number of countries he measured in his study and the simplicity of his dimensions which are straightforward and appealing to both academic researchers and businessmen (Venaik, S., Brewer, P., 2010). However, Hofstedes study has been criticised because it was applied to a small set of people which worked for the same company, IBM, and considered only cultural values (Verbeke, W., 2000). Even though, Hoefsteds national culture model is broadly studied and employed by marketers, scholars, and business in general (Javidan, M., et al, 2006). This document is aimed at discussing and evaluating the key dimensions of national culture in the UK using the Hofstedes model of national culture. The first section provides a general overview of Hofstedes approach to national culture. The second part provides an insight in the individualism/collectivism dimension of the UKs national culture. The third division discusses the masculinity/femininity dimension. The forth parcel comments the power of distance dimension. The fifth piece argues the uncertainty avoidance dimension. The sixth portion reviews the long-/short term orientation dimension. Finally, the seventh segment concludes. Hofstedes approach to national culture Gerard H. Hofstede developed a model to approach national culture in early 1980s. Hofstede defined culture as the collective programming of the mind that distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another (Hofstede and Hofstede 2005 in Migliore, L.A., 2011). His definition was aligned to the classic theory of personality structure and culture. Under the umbrella of this theory, members of a specific culture will internalize communal characteristics and develop a corresponding personality structure. Nevertheless, classic theory also assumes that culture shapes personality. Thus, individuals vary according to cultures (Kirkman, B.L., et al, 2006). In this manner, Hofstede underpins his study in two concepts of national cultural: Common individual national culture and statistical average. Common individual national culture refers to the common characteristics that individuals share in a particular nation. Thus, a unique national culture is assumed to be individually carried by everyone in a nation. The statistical average, on the other hand, presupposes that the share of national culture is as not necessarily carried by individuals per se, but as a statistical average based on individuals, that is, a national norm or an average tendency (Blodgett, et al, 2008). Hofstede stated that societies are different along four major dimensions: individualism, masculinity, power distance, and uncertainty-avoidance (Vitell, S.J., et al, 1993). Some years latter (1991) Hofstede and Bond added a fifth dimension, labelled the Confucian dynamism or short-term versus long-term orientation (Chiang, F., 2005). The model provides scales from 0 to 100 for 76 countries for each dimension, and each country has a position on each scale or index, relative to other countries. In general terms, Hofstedes work is based on mental programs. Due to the process of socialization, these mental programs are developed in the family in early childhood and reinforced in schools and organizations, and other areas throughout the lifetime, experiences, and upbringings. Hofstedes work has been the benchmark for cultural analysis for the last three decades (Orr, L. M., Hauser, W. J., 2008). However, Hofstedes model has also been highly criticised. Its constraints can be summed in four points: 1. Lengthy data collection period. 2 The IBM sample (Since all respondents shared a common corporate culture which may distinguish them from the broader national population). 3 Inefficiency of the instrument (the use of attitude-survey questionnaires might not be a valid base from which to infer values). 4 Limited dimensions/Limitation of the instrument and Western bias (the values sampled were not comprehensive; thus the dimensions identified may not be exhaustive (Latifi, F., 2006). The results of Hofstedes study are presented in a table. Each dimension is displayed in a column. Results can be read in the following manner: Individualism/Collectivism: From collectivist (0) to individualist (100), Masculinity/Femininity: From feminine (0) to masculine (100), Power distance: From low (0) to high (100), Uncertainty avoidance: From weak (0) to strong (100), and Long-/Short Term Orientation: From short (0) to long (100). Hofstedes model may not be a perfect, but it is a good way to approach national culture analysis and understand nations in terms of these five dimensions. Its simplicity has underpinned its popularity. Modelling social processes is a hard task, but continual improvement will help researches to find out more accurate and simple models which transmit in an easy manner the reality (Redding, G., et al, 2008). Individualism/Collectivism Individualism/Collectivism measures the strength of the ties people have to others within the community. A high score indicates a loose connection with people. In countries with a high score there is a lack of interpersonal connection and little sharing of responsibility, beyond family and perhaps a few close friends. A society with a low Individualism/Collectivism score would have strong group cohesion, and there would be a large amount of loyalty and respect for members of the group. The group itself is also larger and people take more responsibility for each others well being (Hofstede, G., 2003). According to Hofstedes analysis, the UK has a mark of 89 in this dimension and is the number 3 in the global rank (Hofstede, G., 2003). Thus, UK society tends to have high valuation on peoples time and their need for freedom. It also has an enjoyment of challenges, and an expectation of rewards for hard work and a high respect for privacy. The UKs individualism can be observed in the number of single-occupancy property number. According to UKs government, the number has increased a 13% during the last 30 years (BBC, 2004). Individualism has also created a culture which is highly oriented to reward the hard work. As an example, the banking sector in the UK is well known for motivating its employees by granting bonuses according to objective accomplishment. Bonuses are, somehow, a way to pay tribute to peoples time. Government faced a strong resistance after the global financial crisis when conservative faction legislated to finish this practice. Financial institution claimed that reward mechanism was necessary to motivate people to invest their time to achieve firms objectives (BBC, 2009). Another expression of UKs individualism is the personal-information respect. UKs data protection laws protects information of any individual regardless his legal or social status. Leakages in private information are seen as major faults (BBC, 2010). The emphasis on the individual rather than the society has also roomed a debate culture which is spread across UKs society. The typical example is the parliament where each representative is allowed debating his ideas with any other member. Additionally, almost all major legislations are open to debate (BBC, 2010a). Thus, debate culture is easily identified in UKs people. From the authors point of view, individualism is a well known characteristic of Britons. This is perceptible, for instance, when comparing evaluation results. International student tend to share their grades since they want to assess how well they are doing it. But, British students consider this as a rude practice. Britons are very well known for their verbal skills which allow them to debate and argument in a solid manner. Generally speaking, the author agrees with Hofstedes results in this dimension, since individualism is almost a stereotyped characteristic of the British people. Masculinity/Femininity Masculinity/Femininity determines to how much a society sticks with, and values, traditional male and female roles. High scores are found in countries where men are expected to be tough, to be the provider, to be assertive and to be strong. If women work outside the home, they have separate professions from men. Low scores do not reverse the gender roles. In a society with a low Masculinity/Femininity score, the roles are simply blurred. You see women and men working together equally across many professions. Men are allowed to be sensitive and women can work hard for professional success (Hofstede, G., 2003). The mark in this dimension for the UK is 66 and the ninth position worldwide (Hofstede, G., 2003).This mark can be considered as even. In this manner, UK people have a well defined distinction between mens work and womens work, a woman can do anything a man can do, and powerful and successful women are admired and respected. Women rights evolution can be tracked since 1860 in the UK. They have acquired relevant positions in the government and private sector. For instance, the UKs head of the state, the queen Elizabeth II, has been on charge since 1952 (59 years). There are also another politicians and business women who are well known and admired (BBC, 2010b). However, there are still some activities which are considered as women duties. For example, housekeeping and children care (The economist, 2010). According to authors opinion, the UK offers equal opportunities to men and women. This is assured by the equality laws and the Government equalities office. Even though, within the families women still play a traditional role. They receive the same education than boys, but they are also trained to look after their children in the future. Thus, education in girls is seen as a complement of their main duties. In one hand, women are given the same opportunities than men, but in the other hand women have not been detached to the maternity role. Women, at work, are more independent and highly compromised with business objectives, thus, they are seen as trustworthy collaborators. Nevertheless, UKs public and private sector should work more to ensure women the same status as men (BBC, 2006). The combination of all these conditions explains why UKs mark is in the middle of the scale. Masculinity dimension rank may decrease, but it will require the involvement of all society actors, education al programs, and time. Power Distance Power Distance measures the degree of inequality that exists, and is accepted, among people with and without power. A high score indicates that society accepts an unequal distribution of power and people understand their function in the system. Low score means that power is shared and well dispersed. It also means that society members view themselves as equals (Hofstede, G., 2003). UK scores 35, thus its global position is the 44 (Hofstede, G., 2003). This mark implies that UKs organizations have almost flat structures, thus, bureaucracy has been reduced to optimum levels. Supervisors and employees are considered almost as equals, thus, accountability is evenly distributed. In this manner, public and private bodies can be flexible, dynamic, and resilient. Teamwork is also considered a valuable competency. Alongside, the decision making process is highly inclusive since it involves as many people as possible. An example of this distribution of power can be found in the government dependencies which are spread across the country (BBC, 2009a). Teamwork is taught since early education stages. The objective is to combine individuals capacities in order to create a comprehensive body which can deal with a broad range of scenarios and challenges. Team sports are a clear example of the emphasis on teamwork. Team sports are part of the educational system and are intensively promoted in the UKs schools (BBC, 2008).Talking about decision-making process, participation is encouraged in private and public institutions. In private sector, employees are managed to express their opinions about firms strategies via corporative communication tools (BBC, 2009b). In the public sector, people have several communication channels to get involved in the decision making process. Major changes in legislation, for instance, are open to involved parties in order to gather as much information as possible. Based upon feedback, representatives amend, reject, or approve laws (BBC, 2010a). In authors opinion, UKs people present a mixture of centralized and decentralized characteristics. Some parts of the government, for instance, are capable to take action without any central permission, but there are some others which have necessarily to ask to central branches authorization to proceed. In the same manner, not all legislations are open to consult, thus, not all decisions are collectively made. It is worth to say that these comments do not undermine Hofstedes results. The aim of this opinion is to point out that UKs characteristics cannot be clearly classified since the whole system is a combination of central and distributed power. In conclusion, the author endorses Hofstedes result in this dimension. Uncertainty Avoidance Uncertainty Avoidance evaluates the degree of anxiety society members feel when in uncertain or unknown situations. High scoring nations try to avoid ambiguous situations whenever possible. They are governed by rules and order and they seek a collective truth. Low scores indicate the society enjoys novel events and values differences. There are very few rules and people are encouraged to discover their own verity (Hofstede, G., 2003). In this dimension UK was rated 35 and its place in the study is the 48th (Hofstede, G., 2003). Thus, people in the UK have an informal business attitude, that is, they pay more attention to the essence rather than the form of the business. In this manner, a business objective can be achieved in relaxed business environment. UKs society is more concern with long term strategy than what is happening on a daily basis. Another of their characteristics is the change and risk acceptance. UKs people face the change and propose options to change their current scenarios with the implied risks. An interesting feature is that they need and expect a structure or framework in order to identify their field of action. Plans, then, should be clear and concise about expectations and parameters. A clear example of long term vision can be identified in governmental programs which propose actions to cope with national problems. For instance, legislations and development plans. Well fare and banking reform are examples of these strategies (BBC, 2011). UKs interest in frameworks is evident in the creation of standards to standardize products and service activities. British standards are well known worldwide; some of them have become de facto standards for some industries (BSI, 2011). Finally, UKs change acceptance and resilience can be found in the bail-out strategies that government put in place to cope the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. UK was one the most affected countries. However, regulatory bodies analyzed the situation and proposed a series of measures to minimize the crisis effects and avoid future ones (Carmassi, J., et al, 2009). The author agrees Hofstedes results. British planning culture is palpable in daily life from bus stops to school schedules. UKs orientation to strategy can be seen as a result of the Individualism dimension since the respect for others time manages all society actors to coordinate activities. On the other hand, work environments are relaxed because people are objective oriented. That does not mean that firms are anarchically managed, but authority is exercised in a way that allow everyone to accomplish their objectives. Finally, UKs procedural vocation has aligned and standardised several industries worldwide, thus, it is clear that Hofstedes evaluation clearly reflects the UKs Uncertainty Avoidance dimension. Long-/Short Term Orientation Long-/Short term orientation estimates how much society values long-term, as opposed to short term, traditions, and values. This dimension was added by Hofstede in the 1990s after finding that Asian countries with a strong link to Confucian philosophy acted differently from western cultures. In countries with a high score, delivering on social obligations and avoiding loss of face are considered very important (Hofstede, G., 2003). UKs index value is 25 and its place in the analyzed countries is the 29th (Hofstede, G., 2003). Societies with a low index of Long-/short term orientation promote equality, high creativity, and individualism. This implies that they are not very attached to customs and traditions. People treat others as equals and self-actualization is sought. Society members are respectful of others and do not hesitate to introduce necessary changes, in other words, they are very dynamic. UKs society is plenty of examples if this constant innovation and change. UKs music industry is well known for producing not only new popular bands, but also for introducing new musical styles. Entrepreneurship has allowed the country to improve and invent machinery, sports, devices and services which have impacted the world history. Promotion of equality has fuelled reforms which have been adopted by the rest of the countries. Customs and traditions change from generation to generation allowing the invention or introduction of new ones (BBC, 2011a). The author agrees with Hofstedes evaluation. UKs continual improvement is tangible in all aspects of daily life. For instance, entrepreneurship is seen as an important quality, since it is the perfect way to be creative and independent at the same time. As a result, innovation in technology, literature, finance, and regulation is a present in a constant basis. However, the change in traditions has roomed questions about national identity. British identity is difficult to track since each generation is altering the status quo. Thus, British national identity is always evolving and cannot be isolated as a static body of ritual, rules, and artefacts. Finally, the respect of others is an appreciated value in UKs society, which from the authors standpoint, has been the foundation stone of the whole society and has shaped its current state. Conclusions Hofstedes model provides a simple manner to compare two different societies. The five dimensions outline general characteristics of the analyzed countries. Even though, some authors claim that the study was based on biased information. Detractors have criticized the statistical methods, but they have not challenged the approach. It is possible to evaluate more dimensions, but information analysis would become complex and diffuse. Social researchers argue that cultures cannot be compared. However, these studies are required by globalization. Hofstedes results should be understood as generalizations of societies and have not to be used to encourage stereotype creation. Finally, the ultimate goal of Hofstedes analysis was to understand each other a little more and, in this manner, contribute to the construction of a better and durable nation relationships.